I 20 
British Birds. 
THE SWALLOW- 
TAILED KITE. 
(Elanoidcs furcatus.) 
pairs still nest in the North and West of Scotland and in one or two places in 
Ireland. Its range extends over Northern and Central Europe in suitable localities 
and throughout Northern Asia to Kanrtchatka. In many parts of Europe, however, 
it is only known as an occasional visitor, as it is in England. 
I he food of the White-tailed Eagle consists of hareSj lambs and young deer, as 
well as ducks, and it also eats carrion and fish. The nest is a large structure 
of sticks and is placed in a tree or on a 
rock, sometimes on the ground or in a 
reed-bed. The eggs are white, without 
markings, and are from two-and-three- 
quarters to three-and-a-quarter inches in 
length. 
This unmis- 
takable species of 
Kite has been sup- 
posed to have oc- 
curred on two occasions in England, 
but the records are by no means satis- 
factory. It is an inhabitant of North 
America and migrates in winter to 
Brazil. It is said by observers to be a 
bird of very grand flight, and catches a 
good deal of its insect food on the wing. 
The nest is made of sticks, and is 
built on a high tree. The eggs are 
two or three in number, white, boldly 
marked with reddish brown or chestnut. 
This species is 
recognised by its 
rufous colour and 
long red tail, which 
is strongly forked. Although formerly 
common in Great Britain, there are 
now only a few places in Wales and 
Scotland where the species still breeds. 
It is found throughout the greater part of Europe and breeds in the Mediterranean 
countries, but does not extend so far in Russia as the Ural Mountains. Like all of 
its kind, the Kite is a fine bird on the wing, and is capable of soaring to a great 
height. Its food consists of reptiles and frogs and small birds, and it is said to 
be very destructive to young birds, while it will also attack wounded or sickly grouse 
and partridges. The nest is placed in a tree, more rarely on a rock, and is built of 
THE 
COMMON KITE. 
(Milvus milvus.) 
The Common Kite. 
The Swallow-tailed Kite. 
